Control and applications of structured light and chiral molecules

Fully-structured light – light that has non-uniform intensity, phase and polarization - lies at the heart of an emerging and extremely promising field of research, with applications in high-resolution imaging, optical communications, and trapping and manipulation of nanoparticles. This project aims to significantly advance the theory of this emerging and extremely promising field of research for important and promising applications in photonics and molecular physics.

The PhD project will focus on:
- Design of novel light beams for interaction with chiral molecules.
- Numerical simulations of nonlinear propagation of fully-structured light.
- Interaction of light with, in particular, chiral molecules.

This PhD position (fully funded for UK/EU students only) will offer the opportunity to work in an exciting cross-disciplinary area and provide research training in fundamental electromagnetism, numerical and analytical methods for nonlinear beam propagation, and some molecular physics. The Department also offers postgraduate teaching and training as part of SUPA (the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance). The research will be supported by close collaboration with experimentalists in Nice & Muenster, with whom we already have strong ties via the European Network ColOpt, in Imperial College, and in Robert Boyd’s group in Ottawa.
The successful applicant should have a good first class degree or equivalent in a Physical or Chemical Science and dedication and enthusiasm for research in both theoretical optics and molecular physics. They should also have excellent analytical and computational skills, very good communication and interpersonal skills and a willingness to travel both nationally and internationally to present results at national and international conferences.

For further information on the PhD project contact Dr. Alison Yao ([Email Address Removed]). For more information about our research group see http://cnqo.phys.strath.ac.uk/research/structured-light/

For information about PhD study in the Physics Department at the University of Strathclyde, please visit: http://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/research/physics/.

For an online application form please go to https://ben.mis.strath.ac.uk/pguserprofile/control/enterDetailsPage

Start date is October 2019.